This application relates generally to mating plugs and receptacles, such as an electrical plug following the Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard and a receptacle therefore, and, more specifically, to a cap having a receptacle into which a USB plug, such as a plug integrally formed on a portable integrated circuit memory device, is inserted for protection. All patents, patent applications, articles, other publications and things referenced herein are hereby incorporated herein by this reference in their entirety for all purposes.
A class of non-volatile semiconductor flash memories, commonly called flash drives, are small hand-held portable devices that contain a USB plug as an integral part of them. The USB plug is inserted during use into a USB receptacle of a host system such as a personal computer (PC), notebook computer, portable digital assistant (PDA) and the like. The memory system within the flash drive is electrically connected to the host system through the USB connector for transferring data therebetween, and the memory system also receives operating power through the USB connector. A line of USB flash drives is sold by SanDisk Corporation, assignee of the present application, under its Cruzer trademark.
Flash drives are typically sold with caps for the user to place on the USB plug when the device is not being used. Such caps are most commonly simple plastic coverings that easily slip on and off the plug. Some caps, however, are provided with a more positive attachment mechanism that positively latches them on the plug. Since the purpose of the caps is to protect the exposed plug, no connection is made with the conductors of the plug onto which they are placed.